The game is still pretty malleable overall and changes like this may come about, though unfortunately multiple controllable characters would turn things into a logistical / combinatorical bog given the way the system works right now. :P
I think the readability of the planning mode could be drastically improved by keeping the character sprites static and having a ghost perform the moves. That give your eyes an anchor, creates the notion of temporal displacement, and avoids the epilepsy inducing feeling of everything moving all the time. Would probably keep the camera static as well, and thus camera moves can be anchored with "real time".
The lack of control on directions feels odd. In most games the convention is that you can move your character in a chosen direction. The affordance created in my brain by a character in an empty screen is "move to explore". There are probably several ways to improve this. Ie start with an enemy in sight, so my first thought is "stabby stabby stab stab". Though ensuring enemies are always in sight might be a challenge. I imagine an auto move routine in between melees could be workable. Or else enabling some kind of movement scheme when enemies aren't around. But that feels contrived. There was also the question of "how do I go to pick up a weapon". Would say if movement is limited weapon pickup should be very generous, ie you don't have to be directly on top of it.
The same move should stay selected between turns.
Back step works in the opposite direction to what I would expect. Though I learnt that quite quickly.
Most of my moves involved brute forcing preview until I found the one that didn't lead to death. I'm sure this would improve as I understand the tactics of the game, but maybe a more obvious starting move like "parry" would be easier for players to grok and use tactically. Wasn't that in the original proto? This would feel like I have a useful hail mary while I'm still learning and I've gotten myself into a compromised position in the arc of an enemy (kinda like slash). Later on more powerful enemies could blow right through parries/blocks/whatever leading to your intended play style and having to think carefully about the position of your player.
Other than that, damn playback feels good! :)
Also re play back: the way action games do this is to simply record positions and interpolate between them. That would give you determinism but then you'd have to get smart about triggering the animations correctly as well. Though seeing as all your move intervals are fixed I think that should be achievable ;)
Comments
Stream of consciousness:
- I think the readability of the planning mode could be drastically improved by keeping the character sprites static and having a ghost perform the moves. That give your eyes an anchor, creates the notion of temporal displacement, and avoids the epilepsy inducing feeling of everything moving all the time. Would probably keep the camera static as well, and thus camera moves can be anchored with "real time".
- The lack of control on directions feels odd. In most games the convention is that you can move your character in a chosen direction. The affordance created in my brain by a character in an empty screen is "move to explore". There are probably several ways to improve this. Ie start with an enemy in sight, so my first thought is "stabby stabby stab stab". Though ensuring enemies are always in sight might be a challenge. I imagine an auto move routine in between melees could be workable. Or else enabling some kind of movement scheme when enemies aren't around. But that feels contrived. There was also the question of "how do I go to pick up a weapon". Would say if movement is limited weapon pickup should be very generous, ie you don't have to be directly on top of it.
- The same move should stay selected between turns.
- Back step works in the opposite direction to what I would expect. Though I learnt that quite quickly.
- Most of my moves involved brute forcing preview until I found the one that didn't lead to death. I'm sure this would improve as I understand the tactics of the game, but maybe a more obvious starting move like "parry" would be easier for players to grok and use tactically. Wasn't that in the original proto? This would feel like I have a useful hail mary while I'm still learning and I've gotten myself into a compromised position in the arc of an enemy (kinda like slash). Later on more powerful enemies could blow right through parries/blocks/whatever leading to your intended play style and having to think carefully about the position of your player.
Other than that, damn playback feels good! :)Also re play back: the way action games do this is to simply record positions and interpolate between them. That would give you determinism but then you'd have to get smart about triggering the animations correctly as well. Though seeing as all your move intervals are fixed I think that should be achievable ;)